JP6389228B2 - Filler neck assembly and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a filler neck assembly and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a filler neck assembly that guides fuel flowing from a fuel injection nozzle to a fuel tank and a manufacturing method thereof.

  Generally, an automobile can obtain power that can be driven by various fuels such as gasoline, light oil, LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas), LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). Various fuels of such automobiles are stored in the fuel tank through the filler neck.

  Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 7, the conventional filler neck assembly 10 may include a cap holder 11, a filler tube 13, and a filler pipe 15. Here, the cap holder 11 forms a region into which a fuel injection nozzle (not shown) is inserted. The filler tube 13 is connected at both ends to the cap holder 11 and the filler pipe 15 between the cap holder 11 and the filler pipe 15. Thereby, the fuel from the fuel injection nozzle is provided to the fuel tank via the filler pipe 15. The filler tube 13 is formed with a flange 17 for supporting the filler neck assembly 10 on the vehicle body.

  However, in the prior art, the filler tube 13 and the filler pipe 15 are separately provided and connected. As a result, leakage of hydrocarbon gas may occur at the connection portion between the filler tube 13 and the filler pipe 15. Accordingly, there is a need for a filler neck that can meet the recently emerging enhanced hydrocarbon gas emission regulations.

  In the prior art, the filler neck assembly 10 includes a flange 17 that supports the vehicle body as an integral part of the filler tube 13. Thereby, an external impact can be transmitted to the filler tube 13 via the flange 17 when an accident such as a vehicle collision occurs. Therefore, there is a problem that a fire may occur due to the occurrence of fuel leakage.

Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-0936984 (Filler Neck for Vehicle Fuel Injection Device, January 07, 2010)

  An object of the present invention is to provide a filler neck assembly capable of minimizing gas leakage to the outside and a manufacturing method thereof.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a filler neck assembly that can prevent an impact transmitted to a fuel supply unit when an accident such as a vehicle collision occurs, and a method of manufacturing the same.

  A filler neck assembly according to the present invention is connected to an external oiling nozzle and guides the supply of fuel from the oiling nozzle to a fuel tank. In the filler neck assembly, a cap holder into which the oiling nozzle is inserted, and the cap holder are mutually connected. And a filler pipe having a nozzle support area coupled to support the oil supply nozzle and a pipe area extending integrally from the nozzle support area and interconnecting the nozzle support area and the fuel tank.

  The filler neck assembly is provided integrally with a flange for supporting the filler pipe on the vehicle body so that the filler pipe is isolated through the vehicle body, and has a path through which air from the outside is supplied to the interior of the vehicle. An air drain portion to be formed is further included.

  The air drain part is in close contact with the outer wall of the filler pipe so as to correspond to the first case and the first case that are in close contact with the outer wall of the filler pipe outside the nozzle support region. A first flange that connects the first case and the filler housing of the vehicle, and the flange is integrated or closely attached to the first flange to connect the second case and the filler housing. Including a second flange.

  The first case extends through the first flange and extends into the filler housing, and forms an air drain port that forms a path through which the air inside the filler housing flows into the air drain part. And an air discharge part for supplying air flowing into the air drain part to an air vent pipe connected to an air filter of the vehicle.

  The first case is provided with a plurality of frames formed to protrude from an inner wall of the first case between the air drain port and the air discharge portion, and air supplied to the air discharge portion is provided. It further includes a filter that filters moisture and foreign matter, and a water drain hole that forms a path through which the moisture and foreign matter filtered by the filter are discharged to the outside of the first case.

  The material of the air drain part is provided to include at least one of steel, stainless steel, and plastic.

  The material of the cap holder is provided so as to include at least one of stainless steel and plastic, and the filler pipe is provided with stainless steel or plastic, and includes heat fusion, rotary fusion, and assembly. They are interconnected by any one.

  The plastic is provided to include at least one of HDPE multi-material, nylon, and nanomaterial.

  Meanwhile, a method for manufacturing a filler neck assembly according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a filler neck assembly that is connected to an external oiling nozzle and guides the supply of fuel from the oiling nozzle to a fuel tank. And a filler pipe, and a filler pipe manufacturing step for manufacturing the filler pipe by integrally forming a nozzle support region for supporting the oil supply nozzle, and a pipe region for interconnecting the nozzle support region and the fuel tank, and A joining step of joining the nozzle support region of the filler pipe and the cap holder by at least one of thermal fusion, rotational fusion, and assembly.

  The method of manufacturing the filler neck assembly includes a flange for supporting the filler pipe on the vehicle body so that the filler pipe is isolated through the vehicle body, and a path through which air from the outside is supplied to the interior of the vehicle An air drain part manufacturing step for integrally forming the air drain part.

  The air drain part manufacturing step is a step of integrally forming a first case that is in close contact with the outer wall of the filler pipe outside the nozzle support region and a first flange that supports the first case on the vehicle body. And a second case closely attached to the outer wall of the filler pipe so as to correspond to the first case and a second case closely attached to the first flange and supporting the second case on the vehicle body. Forming the flange as one piece.

  The method for manufacturing the filler neck assembly further includes a step of bringing the first and second cases into close contact and supporting the flange on the filler housing of the vehicle after the air drain portion manufacturing step.

  In the filler pipe manufacturing step, the filler pipe is formed by hollow molding.

  The filler neck assembly and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention have the effect of satisfying the recently established enhanced hydrocarbon gas emission regulation condition by minimizing gas leakage in the fuel supply section.

  In addition, the filler neck assembly and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention have the effect of preventing the occurrence of a secondary accident such as a fire due to fuel leakage by minimizing the impact transmitted to the fuel supply unit when an accident occurs. is there.

The technical effects of the present invention as described above are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other technical effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

It is the perspective view which showed the filler neck assembly which concerns on a present Example. It is the side view which showed the coupling | bonding of the filler neck assembly which concerns on a present Example, and a filler housing. It is the perspective view which showed the front end of the filler neck assembly which concerns on a present Example. It is the disassembled perspective view which showed the front end of the filler neck assembly which concerns on a present Example. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view cut along the line II ′ shown in FIG. 3. It is the flowchart which showed the manufacturing method of the filler neck assembly which concerns on a present Example. It is the perspective view which showed the conventional filler neck assembly.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various forms. However, the present embodiment is intended to complete the disclosure of the present invention. It is provided to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. In some cases, the shape of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for a clearer description, and elements denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings mean the same elements.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a filler neck assembly according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a fuel injection nozzle (not shown) is inserted into the filler neck assembly 100 according to the present embodiment. Here, the filler neck assembly 100 includes a fuel supply unit 300 that transfers fuel from a fuel injection nozzle to a fuel tank, an air supply unit 500 that is connected to one front end of the fuel supply unit 300 and is connected to an air filter. , Can be included.

  Here, the fuel supply unit 300 may include a cap holder 310 and a filler pipe 330.

  First, the cap holder 310 forms an insertion path for the fuel injection nozzle. The cap holder 310 is formed with an insertion hole 311 into which the fuel injection nozzle is inserted. The material of the cap holder 310 may be stainless steel or plastic.

  The filler pipe 330 is connected to the cap holder 310 so that the fuel from the fuel injection nozzle is guided to the fuel tank. At this time, the cap holder 310 and the filler pipe 330 may be connected to each other by heat or rotational fusion, such as a welding method, or assembly. The material of the filler pipe 330 may be any one of stainless steel, steel, and plastic. Here, the plastic may be provided to include at least one of HDPE multi-material, nylon, and nanomaterial. However, the material of the filler pipe 330 is not limited.

  Meanwhile, the air supply unit 500 may include an air drain unit 510 and an air vent pipe 530.

  First, the air drain portion 510 is provided at the front end of the filler pipe 330 adjacent to the cap holder 310. The air drain portion 510 forms a path through which fresh air outside the vehicle flows into the vehicle. The air drain 510 may be integrally provided with a flange 550 that supports the filler neck assembly 100 on the vehicle body. The air drain 510 and the flange 550 may be made of steel, stainless steel, or plastic. At this time, when the air drain portion 510 and the flange 550 are made of stainless steel, the flange 550 can support the filler neck assembly 100 more firmly on the vehicle body. When the air drain portion 510 and the flange 550 are made of plastic, there is an advantage that the filler neck assembly 100 itself can be reduced in weight.

  The air vent pipe 530 interconnects the air drain part 510 and the air filter. Here, since the air vent pipe 530 can be understood by a known technique, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, the filler pipe 330 and the air drain portion 510 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 2 is a side view showing the connection between the filler neck assembly and the filler housing according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the front end of the filler neck assembly according to the present embodiment. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the front end of the filler neck assembly according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the line II ′ shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, a nozzle support region 331 and a pipe region 333 can be formed in the filler pipe 330 according to the present embodiment.

  First, the nozzle support region 331 supports a fuel injection nozzle that is inserted into the filler pipe 330 through the cap holder 310. The pipe region 333 forms a path through which the fuel from the fuel supply nozzle is transferred to the fuel tank. At this time, the inner diameter of the nozzle support area 331 of the filler pipe 330 may be larger than the inner diameter of the pipe area 333 of the filler pipe 330. The filler pipe 330 is manufactured through hollow molding such as 3D Blow. Here, the nozzle support region 331 and the pipe region 333 are formed inside a single filler pipe 330.

  This is to solve the problem of leakage of hydrocarbon gas that is generated when the filler tube and the filler pipe are provided with separate structures in the conventional filler neck and interconnected. Therefore, the filler pipe 330 according to the present embodiment has the advantage that the problem of hydrocarbon gas leakage can be solved because the nozzle support region 331 and the pipe region 333 are formed inside the single filler pipe 330. is there.

  Meanwhile, an inner tube 350 may be disposed inside the filler pipe 330.

  The inner tube 350 can be disposed in the nozzle support region 331 and can include a flap valve (not shown). The flap valve can be pivoted inside the inner tube 350. Here, the flap valve is capable of opening and closing the inside of the inner tube 350, thereby preventing lubrication at the time of fuel injection and preventing excessive backflow of fuel during or after lubrication. However, the presence or absence of application of the flap valve is not limited. At this time, the filler pipe 330 accommodates the inner tube 350 and can be extended relatively longer than the lower end of the inner tube 350 to be connected to the fuel tank.

  Meanwhile, the air drain portion 510 is provided integrally with a flange 550 that supports the filler pipe 330 on the vehicle body so that the filler pipe 330 is isolated through the vehicle body. The air drain portion 510 forms a path through which fresh air from the outside is supplied to the inside of the vehicle. The air drain part 510 is provided in a form surrounding the filler pipe 330 outside the front end of the filler pipe 330. Thereby, the air drain part 510 forms an inflow / outflow path of the external air to the inside of the filler housing 30 in contact with the fresh external air.

  The air drain 510 has an upper case 511 that is in close contact with the outer wall of the filler pipe 330 on the upper side of the nozzle support region 331 and a lower case 513 that is in close contact with the outer wall of the filler pipe 330 on the lower side of the nozzle support region 331. And can be provided with. Here, the upper case 511 and the lower case 513 can be connected by various fastening methods such as engagement between the lock protrusion and the lock groove, and fusion. However, it is preferable that the filler pipe 330 is firmly supported by the vehicle body and connected by bolting so that the filler pipe 330 is prevented from flowing.

  Meanwhile, the upper case 511 may include an air drain port 511a, an upper flange 551, a filter 511c, an upper drain hole 511e, and an air discharge part 511g.

  The air drain port 511a is provided at the front end of the upper case 511. The air drain port 511a is provided to extend inside the filler housing 30 when the filler neck assembly 100 is connected to the vehicle body. Accordingly, the air drain port 511 a allows external air from the inside of the filler housing 30 to be provided to an air supply path formed in the air drain portion 510. Thereby, fresh external air can be provided to the air vent pipe 530.

  The upper flange 551 is formed to extend outward from the upper case 511. The upper flange 551 is coupled to the filler housing 30 together with the lower flange 553 described below so that the filler neck assembly 100 is supported by the filler housing 30.

  Unlike the related art, the upper flange 551 and the lower flange 553 are not provided in the fuel supply unit, but are provided in the air drain unit 510. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the external impact transmitted to the fuel supply unit 300 itself when an accident such as a vehicle collision occurs. In addition, the upper flange 551 and the lower flange 553 are separated from each other along with the occurrence of a crack when an accident occurs, and transmission of an external impact to the fuel supply unit 300 can be minimized.

  The filter 511c is provided inside the upper case 511. The filter 511c can prevent moisture, foreign matter, and the like present in the external air provided from the air drain port 511a from being provided to the air vent pipe 530. Such a filter 511c is provided inside the upper case adjacent to the air drain port 511a. Here, the filter 511 c may be provided with a plurality of frames formed to protrude from the inner wall of the upper case 511 toward the filler pipe 330. However, the form of the filter 511c is not limited.

  And the upper drain hole 511e is formed in the lower part of the air discharge part 511g in the rear end of the upper case 511. As shown in FIG. The upper drain hole 511e forms a path through which moisture and foreign matter filtered by the filter 511c are discharged to the outside of the upper case 511. Thereby, the moisture remaining rate inside the upper case 511 can be minimized.

  The air discharge part 511g is formed to extend from the rear end of the upper case 511. The air discharge part 511g connects the inside of the upper case 511 and the air vent pipe 530. Accordingly, the air discharge unit 511g can provide the air filter with external air in which moisture and foreign matter are filtered inside the upper case 511.

  Meanwhile, the lower case 513 may include a lower flange 553 and a lower drain hole 513a.

  First, the lower flange 553 is formed to extend outward from the lower case 513 so as to correspond to the upper flange 551. Such a lower flange 553 is provided integrally with the upper flange 551 or coupled to the filler housing 30 together with the upper flange 551 so that the filler neck assembly 100 is supported by the filler housing 30. Here, the flange 550 may be connected to the filler housing 30 by a nut insert injection or an assembly method. However, the connection method of the flange 550 and the filler housing 30 is not limited.

  Further, the upper flange 551 and the lower flange 553 can be brought into close contact with the flange cover 555. The flange cover 555 reinforces the connection between the upper flange 551 and the lower flange 553 at the front ends of the upper flange 551 and the lower flange 553. Here, the flange cover 555 includes a plurality of pins 555a. The plurality of pins 555a can be inserted into the upper flange 551 and the lower flange 553, whereby the connection between the upper flange 551 and the lower flange 553 can be reinforced.

  The lower drain hole 513a is formed at the rear end of the lower case 513. The lower drain hole 513a can form a path through which moisture and foreign matter that can exist inside the lower case 513 are discharged to the outside of the lower case 513 by the external air that has flowed in through the air drain port 511a.

  Meanwhile, a method for manufacturing a filler neck assembly according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the detailed description of the above-described components is omitted and the same reference numerals are given, and the method for manufacturing the filler neck assembly will be sequentially described below, but it is clarified that the present invention is not limited to the following order.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing the filler neck assembly according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the filler neck assembly manufacturing method according to the present embodiment includes a cap holder manufacturing step (S100), a filler pipe manufacturing step (S200), a fuel supply unit coupling step (S300), and an air drain unit manufacturing step. (S400), an air supply unit coupling step (S500) and a vehicle body support step (S600).

  In the cap holder manufacturing step (S100), the cap holder 310 is formed. Here, the material of the cap holder 310 may be stainless steel or plastic.

  The filler pipe manufacturing step (S200) includes a single nozzle support region 331 that can support the fuel injection nozzle and a pipe region 333 that extends from the nozzle support region 331 and forms a fuel transfer path to the fuel tank. It is formed in the filler pipe 330. Here, the filler pipe 330 may be made of stainless steel, steel, or plastic. More specifically, when the filler pipe 330 is made of plastic, it may be provided to include at least one of HDPE multi-material, nylon, and nanomaterial. Such a filler pipe 330 can be manufactured by hollow molding such as 3D Blow.

  In the fuel supply unit coupling step (S300), the fuel supply unit 300 is configured by interconnecting the cap holder 310 and the filler pipe 330. Here, the cap holder 310 and the filler pipe 330 may be connected by heat and rotary fusion or assembly as in a welding method.

  In the air drain part manufacturing step (S400), the air drain part 510 including the flange 550 is formed. Here, the air drain part 510 may be manufactured with an upper case 511 and a lower case 513. The upper case 511 and the lower case 513 may be provided with an upper flange 551 and a lower flange 553, respectively, as an integral type. Here, the material of the air drain part 510 and the flange 550 may be steel, stainless steel, or plastic.

  In the air supply unit coupling step (S500), the upper case 511 and the lower case 513 are brought into close contact with the filler pipe 330. Here, the upper case 511 and the lower case 513 are mutually connected by various fastening methods such as bolting, engagement between the lock protrusion and the lock groove, and fusion, and are in close contact with the filler pipe 330. An air vent pipe 530 that can be connected to an air filter is connected to the air discharge part 511g.

  In the vehicle body support step (S600), the upper flange 551 and the lower flange 553 are connected to the filler housing 30 so that the filler neck assembly 100 is supported by the vehicle body.

  As described above, the filler neck assembly and the manufacturing method thereof have an effect of satisfying the recently established enhanced hydrocarbon gas emission regulation condition by minimizing the gas leakage in the fuel supply unit. In addition, the filler neck assembly and the manufacturing method thereof have an effect of preventing the occurrence of a secondary accident such as a fire due to fuel leakage oil by minimizing the impact transmitted to the fuel supply unit when the accident occurs.

  The embodiment of the present invention described above and shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting the technical idea of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is limited only by the matters described in the claims, and those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present invention can improve and change the technical idea of the present invention in various forms. It is possible. Accordingly, such improvements and modifications will fall within the protection scope of the present invention as long as it is obvious to those having ordinary knowledge.

100 Filler neck assembly 300 Fuel supply part 310 Cap holder 330 Filler pipe 331 Nozzle support area 333 Pipe area 350 Inner tube 500 Air supply part 510 Air drain part 511 Upper case 513 Lower case 530 Air vent pipe 550 Flange 551 Upper flange 553 Lower flange

Claims (9)

In a filler neck assembly that is connected to an external lubrication nozzle and guides fuel supply from the lubrication nozzle to a fuel tank,
A cap holder into which the oiling nozzle is inserted;
A filler having a nozzle support region coupled to the cap holder and supporting the oil supply nozzle, and a pipe region extending integrally from the nozzle support region and interconnecting the nozzle support region and the fuel tank. Pipes; and
An air drain portion that is provided integrally with a flange that supports the filler pipe on the vehicle body so that the filler pipe is isolated through the vehicle body, and forms a path through which air from the outside is supplied to the interior of the vehicle
Including
The air drain part is
A first case that is in close contact with the outer wall of the filler pipe outside the nozzle support region and a second case that is in close contact with the outer wall of the filler pipe so as to correspond to the first case;
The flange is
A first flange for connecting the first case and the filler housing of the vehicle, a second flange for connecting the second case and the filler housing by being integrated with or in close contact with the first flange; A filler neck assembly including a flange cover disposed at the front ends of the first and second flanges and separated from the filler pipe such that the first and second flanges are coupled. The first case is:
An air drain port extending through the first flange and extending into the filler housing to form a path through which the air inside the filler housing flows into the air drain part; and the interior of the air drain part The filler neck assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising an air discharge unit configured to supply air flowing into the air vent pipe connected to an air filter of the vehicle. The first case is:
Provided with a plurality of frames formed to protrude from the inner wall of the first case between the air drain port and the air discharge portion, to filter out moisture and foreign matter of air provided to the air discharge portion. The filler neck assembly according to claim 2 , further comprising a filter and a water hole forming a path through which the moisture and foreign matter filtered by the filter are discharged to the outside of the first case. The material of the air drain part is
Steel, stainless steel and the filler neck assembly of claim 1, wherein provided is that to include at least one of plastic. The material of the cap holder is
Provided to include at least one of stainless steel and plastic,
The filler pipe is made of stainless steel or plastic,
The filler neck assembly of claim 1, wherein the filler neck assembly is interconnected by any one of thermal fusion, rotational fusion, and assembly. The plastic is
The filler neck assembly according to claim 5 , further comprising at least one of HDPE multi-material, nylon, and nano-material. In a method of manufacturing a filler neck assembly that is connected to an external oil nozzle and guides fuel supply from the oil nozzle to a fuel tank,
The filler neck assembly includes a cap holder and a filler pipe;
A filler pipe manufacturing step for manufacturing the filler pipe by integrally forming a nozzle support region for supporting the oil supply nozzle and a pipe region for interconnecting the nozzle support region and the fuel tank;
A joining step of joining the nozzle support region of the filler pipe and the cap holder by at least one of thermal fusion, rotational fusion, and assembly; and
A flange that supports the filler pipe on the vehicle body and an air drain portion that forms a path through which air from the outside is supplied to the interior of the vehicle are integrally formed so that the filler pipe is isolated through the vehicle body. Air drain part manufacturing steps
Including
The air drain part manufacturing step includes:
Forming a first case that is in close contact with an outer wall of the filler pipe outside the nozzle support region and a first flange that supports the first case on the vehicle body; and
A second case closely contacting the outer wall of the filler pipe so as to correspond to the first case, and a second flange closely contacting the first flange and supporting the second case on the vehicle body Including forming as a unit,
The step of supporting the flange is characterized in that the first and second flanges are coupled by a flange cover disposed at a front end of the first and second flanges and separated from the filler pipe. A method of manufacturing a filler neck assembly. After the air drain part manufacturing step,
The method of manufacturing a filler neck assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising a step of bringing the first and second cases into close contact to support the flange on a filler housing of the vehicle. The filler pipe manufacturing step includes:
The method for manufacturing a filler neck assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the filler pipe is formed by hollow molding.